Bundled Miracle
by Maerynn
Summary: Marinette and Adrien are the best of friends. She landed an internship at Agreste, and couldn't be happier. But is it really worth it all?
1. Chapter 1: Celebration

Marinette stuck her fork into Adrien's plate, grinning at him from ear to ear. He huffed, playfully offended, but she gently nudged him on the arm, putting the bite of salmon in her mouth and nearly moaning in pleasure when the sauce assaulted her taste buds with divine aromas.

"Lighten up, Agreste," she said as the savoury fish melted on her tongue, "This is supposed to be a celebration."

He leaned back in his chair, staring at his best friend with a fond smile on his lips. He loved the dynamics he had with Marinette. At some point during college she had opened up around him, and he had discovered a wonderful person, an incredible girl he had grown quite fond of.

He sometimes found himself wishing his fifteen-year-old self could see him.

That the lonely and sheltered teenager could see how close he was to his friends. How much Marinette was close to him, how his friendships with Alya and Nino were strong, closely knitted, how it had become the thing he treasured the most in his life.

But as far as he was concerned, nobody could compare to the lithe woman stealing bites of salmon off his plate, looking at him smugly from under her lashes. Nothing could compare to the raw affection she was offering him time and time again, always there for him whenever he needed her, to the way she could lit a room simply by stepping into it.

Alya cleared her throat loudly, "just tell us if we are bothering you."

The tone was stern, but there was a glint in her eyes. Nino smiled smugly, raising his glass. "Should we make a toast?"

Adrien agreed reluctantly, raising his glass in tow. "To Marinette and her new job!"

"To Marinette and her new job," Alya and Nino chorused as their glasses gently collided with each other, gently chiming in the small restaurant.

Marinette blushed, taking a sip of her own glass, eyes downcast. "You guys are embarrassing me."

"Your own fault for landing a position at Agreste straight out of university, without the help of your very good friend, Monsieur Agreste himself," Alya stated matter-of-factly.

Adrien couldn't help but feel uneasy as Alya reminded him of the reason they were sitting in their favourite restaurant on a Tuesday night.

Marinette had landed her first choice internship.

The internship he had wished with all his might she would be denied, for her own good.

True, Adrien had wished better for his friend.

True, he had hoped some sane designer with some regards for their employees would discover the diamond in the rough Marinette was, and take her under their wing.

To no avail.

Marinette's dream had been working at Agreste from the very first day. So the minute human resources at Agreste had offered her a spot, she had leaped on the occasion, all claws out, ready to fight her way through the merciless fashion industry.

He was happy for her in a way, he really was.

His best friend was pursuing her dream, and she was more than talented enough to pull her weight through that damned internship.

But he was terrified of the scars it might leave behind.

Because she was way too pure, too bubbly to be tainted by the hellish world that was Agreste.

Because working at Agreste also meant she would be working under his direct father's orders.

Under his infamous temper, his insane demands and his crazy expectations, obeying his every whim.

Marinette nipped another bite of salmon on his plate and playfully nudged him. "You're daydreaming, Adrien. Here, have a taste of my pasta, they're delicious."

And as he buried his fork into Marinette's plate, Adrien was painfully conscious of three things.

One, he wanted to shield that incredibly sweet woman from his father's negative and destructive influence at all costs.

Two, she was his favourite person in the world, her infinite kindness and the way she cared about the people she loved almost overwhelming him.

Three, she was becoming dangerously important to him.

How many times had she stayed up at night, talking to him and comforting him after another fight with his father? How many times had she gone out of her way to bring him a lunch on a long photoshoot? How many laughs, how many moments of happiness he owed to her and treasured?

Through the years, with her endless kindness and her bubbly personality, she had wormed her way into a special spot in his heart.

Her spot.

If he was entirely honest with himself, his entire sanity held on a few constants.

Loving Ladybug was safe.

Loathing his father was safe.

Being a superhero was safe.

And Marinette had to be part of his life.

He stared at her, munching on his salmon happily, not a care in the world.

She was his very best friend, right next to Ladybug. He cared about them both deeply and would give them both the world if they needed it.

Despite his fears concerning his father's temper, Marinette was beyond thrilled about this internship.

And she was happy.

Who was he to deny her that happiness? To deny her her dream?

What kind of friend was he if he wasn't supportive of her dream? If he wasn't there for her in those exciting times?

He could do this.

He could be there for her.

He could help her through those times.

Everything would be fine, he tried to convince himself as he smiled at her, stealing another bite of pasta.

A single question remained.

Why the only emotion he was able to feel was dread?

* * *

Marinette was antsy.

That was the best way to describe the mess of nerves nearly vibrating in front of Adrien, and yet, it wasn't strong enough a word.

She had followed his advice perfectly. "Dress to impress," he had told her, "but stay yourself. Pick comfortable clothes and shoes, they'll probably have you run thousands of errands at first."

So she had shown up that morning wearing a simple black legging under jeans shorts, flat boots that would allow her to run all around the place comfortably. She had thrown a sweater in soft, earthy tones over her lithe figure so the fabric would drape over her shoulders.

She was fashionable enough to work in a fashion house, and yet Marinette enough for Adrien to approve.

He smiled at her as he found her at the bottom of the stairs, visibly bracing herself.

"Nervous?" he asked as he pushed a thermos of fuming coffee into her hands.

She stilled, looking at the cup of coffee as if it was a threat. "I really don't know if I should, Adrien, I'm so clumsy that-"

He grinned. "That's why I bought one of those cups, Marinette. You could juggle with it and it wouldn't spill. You have to press the button on the front, like this," he said as he demonstrated it to her, "in order to be able to drink."

She hesitantly took a sip, and then beamed at him. "That was really thoughtful of you, Adrien. Thank you."

"Anything for my favourite intern," he replied playfully as they climbed the steps to Agreste offices. "Do you know where you'll be interning?"

"I've been told it's a smaller team, that mostly handle non-urgent touch-ups and primary fittings."

She sounded disappointed, but Adrien was relieved. If she was working in the lower ranks of the company, the chances that his father would even pay attention to her were next to none. "Ah. So you'll be working with Adam. That's good, he's a really kind man."

"He is?" Marinette asked, looking at Adrien with wide eyes.

Adrien chuckled, "Despite how I feel about this industry, not everyone is a monster here. After all, I work here."

"And your point is?" Marinette teased, earning herself a playful nudge from Adrien as they walked through Agreste's doors…

...and nearly collided with Gabriel Agreste, standing in the lobby with a bunch of board members.

The tall man turned around, landing a judgemental stare on both young adults. "Adrien. What an inappropriate way to enter the office. And this is…?"

Adrien felt himself shrink under his father's stare, barely able to reply, "This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, father. You've met her on a few occasions? She's a dear friend of mine and your new intern."

"I see. Well, see to it that your… friendship doesn't taint your image, Adrien. And shouldn't you be at a photoshoot right now? You are the face of this company, Adrien, you must be an example at all given times."

"Of course, father," Adrien replied meekly, and he could feel Marinette stiffens by his side.

She loathed this side of him, the perfect son that only said yes and did as he was told.

Before she could say anything, he resumed, "My photoshoot is only in an hour, father, so I figured I could show my friend around at her new job. Sorry if it is an inconvenience."

Gabriel stayed silent for a minute, eyeing them both carefully. "You may proceed, Adrien. Just make sure that your behaviour remains… appropriate."

If the way his entire face was burning, his blush matched Marinette's on par.

"Of course, father," he said again, avoiding the icy blue gaze at all costs. "Will you excuse us?"

Gabriel briefly nodded. "Please do," he simply said, and turned back to talk to his board members without further ceremony.

Obviously stunned, Marinette let an embarrassed Adrien take her away from the lobby and into a labyrinth of corridors. Only once they were out of reach of Gabriel's ears did she seemingly snapped back to reality, staring at Adrien with wide eyes. "What… what was that?" she asked, her voice weak.

"What was what," he replied, his heart caught in his throat.

He knew what was to come.

But it didn't soften the blow.

"I thought he was cold toward you at home, but this is an entirely new level, Adrien." Her voice was soft, caring, and yet it felt like a slap in the face to him. "I don't know how you can live with that."

"Not all of us have the chance to have loving, caring parents, Mari." The words were harsher than he had intended them to, and as soon as he saw the flash of hurt across her face, he regretted them. "Sorry, I didn't mean that…"

"No, you did," she said, patting his hand reassuringly. "But you know papa and mama consider you their son too, right? You have loving parents. Just not by blood."

Grinning, Adrien pushed her into a small workroom, whispering in her ear, "Thanks for reminding me, Mari."

Adam turned out to be a really exuberant man. He was wearing bright yellow pants with an orange button up, and his long black hair was braided tightly. His kind grey eyes landed on Marinette, and his lips stretched into a wide smile. "Is that my brand new intern? Escorted by no one but Adrien Agreste himself?"

Adrien felt himself smile. He had always loved Adam. Adam Bianchi had been one of the few adults to treat him as an individual instead of "Gabriel Agreste's son", and he had always appreciated him for that. With him, Marinette was in good hands.

"It is! Let me introduce you to Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a close friend of mine and the next genius designer!"

Adam extended a hand toward her, smiling softly. "Welcome to the team woman. Don't think because you're Adrien's friend I'll go easy on you!"

"I would never dare," Marinette answered earnestly, and in that second, Adrien knew she had won the affection of her teammates.

* * *

When he showed up at the small workroom after his photoshoot, several hours later with a sandwich and a fruit juice, he predictably found her hunched over some design, altering it with the patient guiding of Adam.

"That's right, Marinette," Adam said. "You adjust the hem according to the height of the model, and… and you have a visitor."

Marinette seemingly snapped out of her trance, looking at Adrien and his offerings with a grateful smile. "Bribing me with food? That's low for you, Adrien."

"Didn't know if I could trust Adam to let you eat," Adrien playfully answered.

Adam loudly gasped, staring at Adrien with offended eyes. "Don't make me regret all the sandwiches I slipped to you when you were younger, Adrien!"

Adrien laughed, looking affectionately at Marinette. "I would never dare, Adam. You are a blessing."


	2. Chapter 2: False

"So, how was your first day at Agreste?" Adrien asked softly as he pushed his plate of nachos toward Marinette so she could pick some of it.

She sighed, despite knowing it would only alarm the young man who knew her so well.

She knew fairly well that Adam had had only good words for her as far as Adrien was concerned, and that she had no reason whatsoever of feeling down.

That her internship was a blatant success whereas she was concerned.

And that true, as far as _everyone else_ was concerned, her first day at Agreste had been nothing short of brilliant.

But she still felt beyond humiliated for the way Gabriel had treated Adrien and her that stupid morning.

Like they were nothing more than unconscious children causing a ruckus.

"I'm okay, Adrien," she said, "the day has been long, that's all."

He chuckled. "It's because of my father, isn't it? Don't worry about him, he's completely out of it."

"Still, I feel completely humiliated by how he treated us," Marinette said. "I don't think I could've made a worse first impression if I had tried. He'll probably loathe me until the end of times."

Adrien laughed, only irking Marinette further. "Believe me, if Father decides to dislike you, he'll find stronger reasons to than a failed first impression. You're doing as fine as you can as we speak."

Marinette allowed herself to revel in her friend's hug, wondering if his words were meant to be as soothing as they were.

* * *

Gabriel Agreste crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at the small department team massed before him, tension suddenly oozing from all of them. "Am I making myself clear?" he asked. "This project is more important than anything else going on at the moment in the company."

Marinette felt as if she was shriveling upon herself, feeling as little as a pea in front of her favorite designer. And yet she had to speak, she had to make herself known.

He went on, unaware of his newest intern internal conflict. "Don't worry, sir," Adam said, "we can manage that effortlessly."

Uneasiness pooled into Marinette's gut as she felt how false that statement was.

* * *

Her fingers were hurting from having relentlessly sewn from the wee hours of the morning. She had a pounding headache, and from the way she could hear her stomach growl angrily, noon must've passed long ago already.

But there was still so much to be done, and so little time to do it.

Marinette suddenly saw a chicken wrap appear in front of her face, startling her out of the hem she was desperately trying to fix before Gabriel's daily review.

To say it was chaotic around her would be too weak of a word.

There was fabric everywhere, one model was crying while another was very visibly busy throwing some diva tantrum to Adam.

In front of her, holding said wrap, was Adrien, looking at her with worry in his eyes. She knew she looked pale and exhausted, she couldn't recall the last time she had eaten a proper meal.

"I'm suddenly regretting I can't steal you away for a proper lunch instead of the measly wrap I bought you," Adrien said, echoing her thoughts.

"Thanks, Agreste," she said, promptly taking a bit of the offering before going back to the garment she was fixing.

He looked around them, looking confused. She knew he had seen plenty of chaos in over a decade of working for his father, but this was a new extreme. "What's going on?" he asked, concern for her clear in his words.

"Everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong," she replied, barely sparing him a glance as she ate and sew from the other hand. "I won't be out of here before tomorrow at the soonest, there are so many alterations to be made, it's just insane."

Adrien shook his head,

"Marinette, you can't work overnight, I know for a fact that you clocked in at five a.m. I'll talk to my father, you need a break-"

This snapped her out of her frenzied trance. "Don't you dare, Adrien. We talked about this. You promised I would be treated like every other employee. I don't want a preferential treatment."

"I know, but…"

Marinette sighed. She knew Adrien only meant well, and probably knew his father better than she did, but still. What kind of designer would she be if she only climbed the ladder because of her friendship with Adrien? Even worse, what kind of friend would she be? Her friendship with Adrien was something too dear to her, too precious to jeopardize it for work.

And she wanted her future career to be built on her talent only.

"Adrien," she said, softly. "I know you care, and I appreciate it, really. But this is something that I have to do on my own."

Adrien nodded, but from the way his lips were pinched, she knew he disagreed.

But she also knew that he would respect her wish.

* * *

Or so she thought.

Her first thought when he trotted into the workroom shortly after his father's daily inspection, announcing that they were closing the building for the evening, hence forcing everyone to go home, was that she would murder him.

Slowly.

And as painfully as she could.

But there had been two akumas that day. Both fashion related.

She was tired.

And if coping with her meddlesome best friend was what she needed to do to pull through this hellish internship, then so be it.

"I'm mad at you, you know," she told him as soon as they stepped out of the Agreste building. "You swore you wouldn't-"

"Talk to my father," he interrupted her. "And I didn't. I merely hinted to Adam that his team was beyond overworked and that a break was long overdue if he wanted to keep them all afloat. You never said Adam was beyond limits."

Marinette sighed. It was useless arguing against that man. One of the wonderful and yet sad side-effects of his neglected upbringing was that he had way too much love to give to the people that mattered to him.

The sad side of it was that Adrien was overprotective of said people.

Almost to a fault.

She slipped her hand into his, resting her head on his shoulder. "So what's next, Adrien? Ultimate Mecha Strike III and pizza?"

He playfully gasped. "Who do you take me for? Some kind of savage? I have nothing short of Ultimate Mecha Strike VI to offer you, and I was thinking Vietnamese takeout for dinner. What do you think?"

Marinette reached forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks, Agreste."

They ended up spending a really nice evening together, talking, gaming and even dancing together. When Marinette ended up falling asleep in his arms for what must've been the hundredth time or so, Adrien took her to his bed, dooming himself to the couch.

But neither of them would have things differently between them.

* * *

To think her day had begun so well.

She had woken up in Adrien's bed after a full night of rest, and he had fixed a hearty breakfast for the both of them. They had traveled to work together in their playful, easy banter.

Marinette was ready to tackle this new day with renewed energy.

Up until they passed the threshold of Agreste.

Up until they heard a lean, skeletal form screech at the top of its lungs, "Overweight? I'll show you what's overweight!"

The terrifyingly thin fingers touched the face of a bystander, who instantly bloated, becoming twice as wider than tall. The brand new morbidly obese burst into tears and ran into hiding, leaving the akuma cackling madly behind them. "ONE POUND," the akuma yelled, "ONE RIDICULOUS, LITTLE POUND, AND THEY FIRED ME LIKE I WAS UTTER GARBAGE."

Another civilian suffered the same fate as the first one, and it was enough for Marinette. Uttering some weak excuse, she fled from Adrien, barely paying attention to his own parting words.

When she came, bearing her bright spots and signature ponytail (Tikki and she had deemed the pigtails a little childish when she had turned twenty. Chat Noir nearly had a conniption the first time Ladybug had shown up with the long ponytail floating behind her, the collar of her suit revealing her throat and her boots now sporting the lowest of heels.

When she showed back up, spots on and yo-yo in hand, SickStandards, as she apparently called herself, immediately aimed at her. "There she is! The ridiculously thin heroine all of Paris is relying on. You're barely skin and bones, let me give you an upgrade!"

Ladybug tied her yo-yo on a nearby lamppost, and fled herself out of the scene, while SickStandards conveniently chose that time to vanish out of her sight. Kneeling on a nearby rooftop, she waited patiently for Chat Noir to show up.

She couldn't do it without him.

Thankfully, he dropped beside her a few minutes later, grinning at her with his usual Cheshire smile. "Sorry my lady, I was held back."

"No problem kitty. So apparently, this one has been fired for being one pound too heavy and is making everyone overweight as a vengeance," Ladybug summarized.

Chat Noir chuckled, "What an acute way to resume the entire fashion industry."

Before he could speak again, a blast resonated beside them, throwing them both on the ground. The sound resonated within Ladybug's mind, making it hard to bear. Lying pitifully on the concrete, Ladybug spat, "Getting self-conscious, SickStandards? Can't differentiate a healthy, muscular body from a sickly thin one?"

The akuma all but snarled, staring at the heroic pair with hate plainly written in her eyes. "You can't know what it is, having every calorie you ingest being monitored, every exercise. To surrender your body to an ungrateful industry that'll let you down at the first opportunity."

"You're right," Ladybug said, quietly calling for her lucky charm. "I can't understand. But I can help you get rid of those nasty thoughts if you want."

A well placed Cataclysm later, and an upset model comforted, Ladybug was free to go on with her day.

If only she wasn't that late.

* * *

When she barrelled into the workroom, Marinette fully expected to be yelled at by Adam. It was completely justified, after all. She was more than an hour, without even calling ahead.

What she hadn't expected though, was to have Gabriel Agreste himself waiting for her with a stern look on his face. Her heart caught in her throat, she tried to slip at her workstation unnoticed, barely acknowledging Adrien coming into the room almost on her heels.

"Mlle Dupain-Cheng," Gabriel's icy voice resonated into the small room. "I do believe you were expected here an hour and nineteen minutes ago."

Marinette felt herself suddenly becoming smaller under the peering gaze of her boss. "I'm sorry sir, but there was an akuma, and-"

"Everyone else made it on time, Mlle Dupain-Cheng. You have to work on your excuses if you're going to keep coming in late."

She visibly deflated, her heart caught somewhere in her throat. "It… it won't happen again, sir."

Somehow her answer must've been the wrong thing to say, because Gabriel's jaw set tight, and it all but spat at her, "Make sure it doesn't, Mlle Dupain-Cheng, because you can be assured that your friendship with my son won't stop me from firing you. There are dozens of interns out there, all of them willing to commit themselves to this job much more than you have done so far."

Humiliation.

There were no other words to describe the feeling that washed over her in that precise second.

She took a step back, violently shaking. "I-I'm sorry. I'm… I'm feeling unwell."

Without another word, Marinette fled from the room, tears nearly choking her. As soon as she was away from prying eyes, she transformed and leaped on the rooftops, heading straight for the Eiffel Tower.


	3. Chapter 3: Rue Gottlieb

_Explicit content ahead_

* * *

 _Finding Marinette._

It was the only thing on Chat Noir's mind as he vaulted himself restlessly from rooftop to rooftop, scanning the streets below as he searched for his best friend.

The way her expression had crumbled when his father had yelled at her had broken his heart. She had looked every bit like a mouse facing a hungry cat, with no way to escape. And when she had fled the room, pretexting some sudden illness, it had taken all of Adrien's willpower not to follow her on the spot.

So as soon as Gabriel had left the room, a smug, satisfied smile on his forsaken lips, Adrien had stammered whatever excuse had first come to mind and had chased her. She had been nowhere to be found in the building, so he settled on searching for her into the streets surrounding Agreste. If he still came empty-handed, he resolved, he would check her apartment, and then the bakery.

A flawless plan.

Except that said plan didn't involve not finding Marinette at either of those locations, and stumbling upon a clearly upset Ladybug on the highest beam of the Eiffel tower, crying her heart out.

Welp.

Marinette was obviously really good at this impromptu game of hide and seek, and his partner also very obviously needed comfort. So he switched trajectory, landing on the beam beside his superheroic counterpart, and pulled her into a hug. "What's wrong, bug?"

It felt like he had broken a dam.

Tears fell on his shoulder, unbidden, as she told him everything.

About how work was completely hectic as of lately, how she felt inadequate for the position she was occupying and how she had to cope with unrealistic deadlines and not nearly enough resources to meet them.

About how she constantly got yelled at for disappearing at the most inconvenient times because of akumas.

About how her boss very obviously hated her, and was only one mistake away from firing her sorry ass.

He held her as she cried her heart out, gently stroking her back and whispering soft words of endearments in between her confessions, like tender punctuation to her sorrows. They stayed like that for a while, him cradling her in his arms as she clung to his shoulders for dear life.

Out of nowhere, she stiffened in his hold and broke away from him. "Thank you, Chat," she said breathily. "Thanks for always being there for me, for being the best of partners I could wish for, for always having my back."

Chat Noir wanted to answer her that he'd always be there for her, no matter what.

He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him.

He wanted to reply that she, too, was an awesome partner and that he considered her his very own lucky charm.

All smooth words of comfort he would've said to her.

If, before his mind had managed to process what was happening, her lips hadn't smashed on his.

Her kiss was hungry, demanding. Startled at first, Chat Noir was quick to give in to her embrace, wrapping his arms around her lithe body and pulling her close to his chest. The fleeting thought that his fifteen-year-old self's fantasies were nothing compared to reality went through his dazed mind, but her fingers tugging at his hair brought him back to the unbelievable reality.

When Ladybug had moaned into their kiss, Chat Noir knew that he was lost. He deepened the kiss, his lips dancing with hers in a passionate dance. He was thirsty for her, thirsty for the breathy sounds she made against his mouth. When her tongue came forward, gliding along the seam of his lips, he gave it entrance without any form of resistance.

He raked his fingers through her ponytail, his claws breaking the hairband. Her hair fell loose on her shoulders, framing her face in a way that caught his breath away. "The bakery girl," she panted in between kisses, and the words barely even registered in Chat Noir's dazed mind.

"What are you saying, my lady?"

"The bakery on Rue Gottlieb," she said again as his lips wandered to the hollow of her throat over the suit. "I know that girl upstairs moved out a few years ago and nobody is using her old room. Do you- ah!"

He nipped at her earlobe, trying to make sense out of what she was saying. He was painfully aroused by the way she was pressing her body against his, the way she was clinging to his shoulders as if her life depended on it. "Do… do you want to move this elsewhere?"

She giggled, a sinful sound if there were one, and she pulled him into another searing kiss. "I… I don't t-think it would be a good idea for us to be caught," she hesitated, "...making out."

"R-right," Chat Noir replied weakly, knees going weak at the unspoken suggestion and the onslaught of hot, passionate kisses. Her hand had left his shoulders, one raking along his body feverishly and the other holding him up to her.

It probably wasn't as good an idea as it sounded right then, but he again caved in to the desire that was consuming him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and reached for his staff, vaulting them both into the sky.

Just as Ladybug had predicted, Marinette's old skylight had been left unlocked, and there was nobody in the room. A very thin layer of dust on the furniture suggested that nobody came there very often. They both slipped through the skylight and onto Marinette's old bed, and if Chat Noir felt a slight twinge of guilt at the idea of being with Ladybug in his best friend's bed, it was long forgotten when his lady latched her lips onto his again.

"Detransform first," she said, her voice hoarse with want.

Startled, he stared at her for a second. Had he heard her right?

"It's pitch black in here," she explained, "I can't see a thing. You can see in the dark though."

"Claws in," he breathed, dipping his head in the crook of her neck to plant an open-mouthed kiss on her collarbone. He didn't have to look to know she had closed her eyes.

Plagg didn't even have time to whine about his predicament before Ladybug whispered "Spots off," against Adrien's lips. There was a bright flash of pink, and the tight spandex under his fingers was replaced with soft cotton.

His bare hand slipped under her shirt, thirsty for skin to skin contact. "I have never even kissed anyone before…" he began, hoping she wouldn't mind his inexperience. Her skin felt incredible under his fingers, a softness he had only dreamed of before.

"Me neither," she sighed contentedly into the kiss, and Adrien dragged his nails lightly across her sides. Her lips suddenly abandoned his, but before he could mourn the loss she was kissing along his jawline and pushing his shirt off his shoulders (when had she even unbuttoned it?). Her hot kisses went on their way, nipping and certainly leaving a trail of love bites along the side of his neck.

His makeup artist would have his head tomorrow.

But right then, he couldn't care less. Ladybug was pressing open-mouthed kisses on his bare chest, Ladybug was marking her territory on him.

And it was incredibly arousing.

Laying side by side with her on a bed was doing nothing to douse the desire in his gut either. He tugged tentatively on the hem of her shirt and she allowed him to pull it over her head. He tossed it to the side, not caring where it landed. Years of working in fashion had its perks, one of them being that Adrien was able to make quick work of her bra, removing it by touch alone before quickly discarding it as well. He dived right back in learning the forms of her throat, her shoulders, her collarbones through kisses.

How he wished he could see her, sprawled out on the bed beneath him, naked from the waist up, panting heavily and wanting.

But that wasn't an option right now, so he relied on his other senses instead. His hand cupped one of her breasts, revelling at their softness. His tongue found the other one, gently playing with the hardened bud.

"Ch-Chat!" she moaned, her fingers gripping strands of his hair. He took it as encouragement, and resumed his ministrations, playing lovingly with her breasts, paying close attention to her reactions. He wanted to tear those delightful sounds from her again, wanted to please her.

His lips regretfully left the sensitive bud, and Adrien ever so slowly pressed a trail of kisses down her abdomen, going back and forth between kitten licks and little nips. She gasped when his teeth gently nipped at her hip bone and moaned loudly when he kissed just below her navel.

He grabbed the edges of her pants, waiting for a sign that she wanted him to stop. What that going too far?

No such sign came, so Adrien slid her pants and panties down her smooth legs. She kicked whatever shoes she had on off, and reached up to fumble with his belt buckle. Chuckling under his breath, Adrien helped her undo it and push his jeans off his legs.

It felt surreal.

He was kneeling between Ladybug's legs, in only his boxers, and despite being unable to see her, he knew that she was completely naked before him, completely offered for his pleasure. He wanted her so much that it hurt him, that it was driving him crazy.

And he was going to make sure he was worthy of that gift.

He reached up to her face, stroking her hair before, taking her lips into another passionate kiss, and softly whispered, "Can… Do you want me to touch you?"

"God. YES, Chat!" she cried out, grabbing his hand and placing it between her legs.

Well. Message received.

He let his fingers wander at the junction of her legs, tentatively stroking between her folds and intently listening to her reactions. His fingers slid into her heated sex, spreading the moisture around and searching for the spot that would make her see stars. A gasp rewarded his boldness, and then a mewl when his finger stumbled across her sensitive nub. He repeated the motion that seemed to provoke such delicious reaction from her, and was rewarded by a sound half-moan, half-pleading sigh. He chuckled between her legs as her fingers tightly wound up in his hair, clutching almost painfully.

"Chat! M-more! P-please!" she gasped in between soft mewls and gasps, and Adrien took it as his cue to push one finger inside her. She stiffened at the foreign touch, and he waited for her to relax under his touch before starting to pump experimentally in and out of her sex. She gasped, her fingers still buried in his wild mane.

Peppering light kisses on her inner thighs, he slowly added a second finger, again waiting for her to relax before moving them. This time she outright moaned, panting softly under him.

When she spoke again, her voice hoarse and breathy, Adrien could hardly believe his ears. "I want you, C-Chat. I want to f-feel you."

He abandoned his work in between her legs and raised up to press a kiss to her lips, whispering softly, "You're sure about this? You want me… us, to… "

"Never have been more certain of anything," she replied, pulling him into a deep, searing kiss.

Adrien shimmied out of his boxer briefs and guided himself to her entrance. "This is okay?", he asked once again, if only to calm his jittery nerves.

"Yes," came the breathy answer in the darkness of the room.

He pushed his hips forward, slowly entering her and waiting for any sound indicating discomfort. She did gasp slightly and seemingly held her breath, but that was all. Once he was fully sheathed inside her, he peppered kisses all over her face, waiting for her to adjust to the odd and unfamiliar sensation.

"Are… are you okay?" he asked after a few minutes, her silence worrying him further with every passing minute.

She searched for his lips in the dark, kissing him lightly. "It stung a bit at first, but I think I'll be fine now. Maybe… maybe if you move?"

He nodded against her forehead, and slowly pulled his hips back. He tried to ignore how good she felt around him, how tight she was around his throbbing erection, focusing solely on pleasuring her. He eased back in again, and relief washed over him when he heard a breathy moan fall from her lips.

He repeated the motion, trying to find a touch that prompted that sound from her again. As he felt her move with him, his hands roamed her entire body, trying to map every inch of her skin.

He couldn't see her, but he could feel her.

After a while, she moaned loudly "C-Chat, f-faster please!", and it came as mercy to Adrien, as he didn't know how much longer he could hold it in. He happily complied, increasing his pace as he felt her nails digging into the tender skin of his back. Words of endearment fell out of her lips, unbidden, as he thrust back and forth into her.

At long last, unable to keep his orgasm at bay much longer, Adrien sneaked a hand in between their intertwined bodies and found that little bundle of nerves that had torn the most beautiful sounds from her earlier. "Come for me, my lady, please" he whispered into her ear.

She gasped loudly and arched her back against him, a powerful tremor coursing through her entire body.

It was more than Adrien could take. His orgasm washed over him like a tidal wave as he released himself inside her. Spent and lost into bliss, Adrien let himself fall on the bed beside her and gathered her into his arms, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

"Are… are you okay?" he asked, his heart caught in his throat.

She sighed in his arms, nuzzling further into his arms. "More than okay. This was amazing."

Seconds later, they were both fast asleep.


	4. Chapter 4: Strange

Saying that Marinette was surprised to wake up in her old bedroom years after moving out would be too weak of a word.

But saying that she was surprised to wake up naked, curled up against something warm that was most likely a man, would be the understatement of the year.

And then the previous night came back to mind.

How overwhelmed she had felt with Gabriel Agreste scolding her like a child in front of the entire team.

How Chat had somehow known where to find her, that she needed him.

How she had felt when he had showered her with kind and supportive words, holding her through her meltdown.

How much she had wanted to kiss him then, to show him how much she loved (where did that even come from?) him, how much he meant to her.

And how right it had felt to press her lips to his. How it had felt to push herself against him, taking in every single gasp, every single moan she could pull out of him.

The feeling of him inside her, making love to her in sweet surrender.

Cheeks ablaze, Marinette rolled on her side, careful of avoiding looking at the face of the sleeping Adonis beside her. The blanket rolled with her, and she caught a glimpse of a well-defined hip bone framing what couldn't be called anything short from a six-pack.

Her kitty was muscular.

Chasing impure thoughts from her mind, Marinette sauntered out of the bed and searched for her clothes. It wouldn't do for her mother to find discarded clothes in the bedroom her daughter had vacated years prior.

Once she was properly clothed, she grabbed a forgotten notepad on her old desk and quickly scribbled,

 _"Cinderella had to leave before the Prince met the Pumpkin._

 _XXX_

 _Yours_

 _P.S. I haven't looked. Your secret's still safe."_

There.

Cryptic enough that if her parents were to find it, it wouldn't give anything away, but clear enough to convey a clear message to him.

She wasn't fleeing.

She wasn't regretting their night.

She was only protecting their identities. Doing what had to be done.

Seconds later, she was out the skylight, leaving a sound asleep Chat Noir behind her.

* * *

Things only got busier and more hectic from there.

Gabriel Agreste managed to akumatize at least one employee every day, only adding to her incredibly already full plate. He kept sprouting unrealistic deadlines on her team and getting mad when they weren't met.

Work was nothing short from her own personal hell.

Every minute was dedicated to Gabriel's latest whim, and tardiness wasn't tolerated, making her double life even more complicated than it was, to begin with.

But she had Adrien on her side.

Adrien, who was acting a little bit strange lately, but who was keeping close tabs on her. He was bringing her lunch whenever she failed to eat, was insisting she clocked out at a decent hour, was quietly cheering her on when a deadline was looming over her.

He was being perfect.

And then there was Chat Noir.

Their night together was constantly on her mind, taunting her, and they had yet to talk about it again. But he was always there, comforting her, helping her, supporting her through her hectic life.

And she only loved him more for it.

* * *

Weeks passed at the same dizzying pace. Marinette somehow managed to pull through it, with her friends supporting her so actively.

Her mind was still hung onto that night with Chat Noir.

Neither of them had broached the touchy topic yet, and it still hung uncomfortably between them.

But she constantly replayed that night in her thoughts, in her dreams, in her fantasies. She was missing his touch, the way his lips had all but worshipped her skin.

She missed him.

It had been almost a month.

Nearly a month, and she couldn't shake those feelings away.

That she needed him.

Wanted him.

A sharp knock on her office door startled her out of her grim thoughts, and she looked up only to be met with Adrien's caring smile. "My little finger told me someone is long overdue for lunch," he said, grinning as he held up a paper bag. "Are you hungry?"

Marinette smiled, "I'm famished," she said. "You're an angel."

He chuckled, walking up to her. "I'm just trying to be a good friend to a dear friend of mine."

True, she had felt weak and dizzy all day, and her morning coffee had given a bad bout of nausea, so a proper lunch was more than welcome. And Adrien had a certain flair to pick up her favourites almost every time, making her mouth watering unwillingly.

"I honestly don't know what I'd do without you," she said as she stood up, wanting to meet him midway. Having been sitting for a good majority of the morning, she felt taking the moment to walk could do her some good. Offer a good stretch for her body and legs.

What she hadn't expected, though, was that her legs would refuse to cooperate.

It was odd. Everything felt like it fell into slow motion. Though it no doubt was different in Adrien's eyes.

Since that morning, everything had felt fine other than lingering nausea and light head feeling. No reason to worry about minor discomfort.

Reaching her hand out to grip the side of her desk, her fingers grazed the edge as her body began to lean to one side. Her knees gave out under her as she felt her own body lose control. Never once had she thought that a fall could act so slowly.

Body twisting towards her side, her gaze fell onto Adrien's. Blue met worried green, his face contorting to a mix of shock and mild horror.

The colours of her office, the lights on the ceiling, and bare open windows spinning around her until it blurred. The only solidness being Adrien in front of her, like tunnel vision where everything else in the background moved fast paced.

Seeing small faded spots poking in the corners of her vision, she watched helplessly as her body continued on its own trajectory while Adrien dropped the bag of food.

By the time her knees made contact with the floor and her vision faded to a near black, Adrien slid to her side. He caught her in his arms before her head could meet the checkered pattern carpet.

" _MARI_!" Adrien shouted as he cradled her in his arms. Her head rested against the bicep of his arm as her gaze slowly regained consciousness, taking in the blurred view of her best friend's frantic expression. She was faintly aware of warm fingers brushing her bangs aside, of green eyes scanning her face intently.

The young man lifted her like she was barely weighing a thing and placed her in the office chair. She could see he was talking, the words refused to compute in her brain. When she failed to respond to the words he spoke, having heard them but couldn't make sense out of them, Adrien frowned and pulled out his phone.

"Almost passed out. Can't or won't talk. Conscious, yes. Yes, her eyes move. She doesn't seem to be in pain, Mari, does anything hurt?"

Did anything hurt?

Not really. It was more like being wrapped in a warm, fuzzy blanket on a scorching day. With what little strength she had left, Marinette shook her head, prompting a relieved sigh from her friend.

"Marinette," Adrien said slowly, "my doctor is on his way. Do you need anything? When is the last time you've eaten?"

Her blank stare did nothing to comfort him. "Okay, here," he said, holding up the bag he had brought with him, "take a sandwich. Eat it slowly, alright?"

A sharp knock on the open door startled them, and Adrien got back up to walk up to the newcomer. "Dr. Thompson, thank you for coming this fast."

"It's no problem, Adrien," the woman said with a smile. "This is my patient?"

Adrien smiled, worry dripping through his expression. "She is. I fear she hasn't been eating properly lately."

"I see," Dr. Thompson replied. "Adrien, would you mind stepping out for a minute? I'd like to talk with my patient one-on-one."

Adrien's lips tightened, but he nodded and exited the room without a word.

Dr. Thompson turned to Marinette. "Now, what is it I hear about eating problems? You're not making yourself throw up, aren't you?"

Marinette shook her head weakly. "No need. Just not hungry."

"Not hungry, or nauseated?"

Marinette groaned as her upset stomach decided to make himself known. "Nausea. And I keep feeling dizzy."

The doctor marked a pause and produced a small pot with a white lid. "Would you be kind enough to pee in this? I have a theory I'd like to test."

With furrowed brows, Marinette slowly got up from her chair and took the offered pot. Walking to the bathroom and peeing on command proved to be more difficult than she had previously thought, but in the end, she managed to bring back a decent urine sample to the doctor.

Dr. Thompson smiled at her warmly and unwrapped a plastic white stick that she dipped into the pot. Within a minute, two parallel lines were on the stick, clear as day.

"Just as I suspected. Explains the dizzy spell and the nausea, you'll really have to be careful about your alimentation from now on. You'll also need to come to my office for more extensive tests. Do you have a rough idea of the conception date?"

"...conception… What are you saying? Was that a…" Marinette trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Dr. Thompson seemed to pick up on her uneasiness, because she smiled again, saying softly. "Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, you are pregnant."

Right on cue, Adrien came back, knocking on the door. Marinette didn't have time to properly process the words that had been just dropped on her and was sitting there with her mouth agape like a fish out of water.

"Good news, Marinette," Adrien said as he walked up to her, "I talked to Adam and you're getting the rest of the day off to rest. He'll lessen your workload too so that we don't get a repeat of today."

Dr. Thompson nodded. "I think it's a good idea." She handed her business card to Marinette, a kind smile gracing her lips. "Call me if you need anything, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng. As a close friend of Adrien, it'll be my pleasure to take care of you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a class in ten minutes."

"Thanks again, Dr. Thompson," Adrien said as he escorted her to the door.

She turned to him on the threshold, grabbing his shoulder. "Keep an eye on her for me, will you?"

Further worry began etching across his face from hearing those words from the doctor. "Is-is she going to be alright. This is the first time I've ever seen her collapse."

The doctor offered him kind and warm smile. "She'll be fine, Adrien. I just need you to make sure she doesn't overexert herself any further than what she's been doing. I'll have to meet with her later and discuss further with her, I'd like to make sure she's taking care of herself until then. Alright?"

"I will," Adrien assured, casting a worried glance toward Marinette. She could almost see the questions racing through his mind, the concern for his dear friend seeping through the cracks of his composed facade.

As soon as the door closed behind her, he spun on the ball of his feet, rushing to Marinette. "Mari? What did the doctor say? Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

Despite everything, Marinette couldn't help but giggle. That man was truly a dork. "Adrien, you're making me dizzy. Slow down, please."

He pouted but backed off slightly. "I'm sorry. You just got me worried."

"You're a real mother hen, Adrien," she said, smiling at her friend fondly.

Adrien had a nervous smile, "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, of course not," Marinette replied with a giggle.

"Well then, I'm taking you home," he said, standing up.

Marinette tried to get up, but her legs gave out under her again. She really would have to watch her calorie intake more carefully if she wanted to survive the next few months.

 _Pregnant._

"Don't be ridiculous, I'll just call a cab."

"Yes. When you can barely stand on your own, let alone walk," he snorted. "Stop arguing, I'm taking you home."

 _Pregnant._

That was the only word playing on and on in her head as Adrien carried her to his car under the curious stares of their colleagues.

 _Pregnant._

As he settled her on the front seat of his car, his motions caring and gentle.

 _Pregnant._

The word haunted her as he carried her to her apartment, ignoring her pleas that she could walk on her own now.

 _Pregnant._

 _Pregnant._

 _Pregnant._

As he left her on her own, alone in her apartment, staring blankly at the wall in front of her.

A question remained:

How would she tell Chat Noir?


	5. Chapter 5: A Message

"You have a message," was the first thing Plagg said to Adrien that night when he walked into his room, his awful day weighing down on his shoulders.

To his utter shame, he was still living at the mansion, but he wasn't looking forward at living on his own if it was depriving him of what little human contact he still had at home. Natalie might've been his father's assistant, but she was as close as a motherly figure as anyone could get to him in his life, and he was reluctant to leave her behind without anyone to replace her and wait for him at home.

"A message? From Ladybug?" he asked, looking at his kwami expectantly.

As usual, the small god drawled it out, munching happily on his piece of Camembert before saying, "LB wants to meet you tonight. At the usual spot, at eight. Apparently, it's urgent."

Adrien groaned, defeated. "Plagg, it's five to eight as we speak. Eat that cheese quickly, we're going out tonight."

Before Plagg could even protest, Adrien said the magic words, and they were both engulfed in the familiar green light. Seconds later, Chat Noir was running on all fours on his familiar rooftops, eager to meet with his lady on the time she had set.

She was waiting for him, on their favourite rooftop. On the rooftop where all their meaningful moments had happened. When she had first admitted she had a civilian crush. When he had told her he liked her beyond friendship. The first akuma they had battled. The beginning of their beautiful friendship.

It didn't help that she was gorgeous, distracting him from the beeping sound in his headphones. She was beautiful as always, her ponytail floating behind her. She spotted him instantly, smiling at him softly. "Evening, Chat Noir."

"Evening, my lady. You called?"

She squirmed uncomfortably in front of him. "I… There's no easy way to say this so… Chat, I'm pregnant." She took a deep breath, before going on despite her fears, "and it's yours."

He stared at her blankly, eyes blown wide and mouth slightly agape. "You… You're sure that…"

Ladybug had a sad laugh, "That I'm pregnant, or that it's yours?"

"...Both, I guess? I mean, I would never doubt you, but-"

"I am," Ladybug said, cutting short to his rambling. She handed him a small square of paper folded in four.

He opened it only to find what he recognized to be an ultrasound picture. It the middle was a little white bean. "Is that…"

"Our baby. Yes. I'm four weeks along." She smiled softly, draping a protective hand over her stomach. "Don't worry. I know we never talked about that night, and I won't ask anything from you."

This seemed to reconnect Chat Noir with reality. His eyes snapped up to hers, and he frowned. "What are you saying? It's mine too, of course, I want to get involved. I never brought that night up because I figured it was just a one-time thing for you."

This apparently took her by surprise, because her eyes widened. "Why would you assume such a thing? You were my first time, and you know it."

"Because you never brought it up…" Adrien groaned. They were a special pair of idiots, weren't they? "Okay, what about this: from now on, whenever something bothers us, we talk about it instead of letting it fester like we did. For the sake of the baby. And our relationship."

Ladybug shook her head softly. "But how, Chaton? With the masks in the way, how are we supposed to raise a child together? I just don't see-"

Adrien's blood ran cold.

No.

Nope.

Not on his watch.

"Like hell, you're doing this on your own, stubborn bug. Plagg, claws in." Before she could say or do anything to change his mind, the familiar green light washed over him, leaving a rather determined Adrien Agreste in its wake. He held out his hand, smiling. "Hi, my name is Adrien, and I'm the father of the little bean in your belly."

He expected her to be surprised.

He expected her to be furious with him.

What he hadn't expected, though, was for her to open wide eyes, tears pooling quickly in her eyes.

She took a step back, her hand in front of her mouth. A broken sob tore through her, confusing Adrien even further. "Of course you're you, stupid, ridiculous, blunt minou. How could you have been anyone else? I fell out of love with you only to fall in love with you again, you stupid, mangy cat."

Her words barely registered in his as panic washed over him. Was she really _that_ disappointed about who he was? What had he done wrong?

He was still trying to figure out what to do to comfort her when Ladybug rushed into his arms, embracing his midsection tightly, her head resting in the crook of his neck. Hot tears were streaming down her face, and he tentatively wrapped his arms around her. "Bug? Do… do we know each other? In… in our civilian lives?"

She nodded against his neck, tightening her grip on him. "We do. You-You can't know how happy I am right now," she cried in his arms, lifting two oceans of blue toward him.

"What… What do you mean? Are we friends or something?"

Adrien's brain was swimming in utter confusion, up until Ladybug stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his softly. "Tikki, spots off," she whispered against his skin before kissing him again.

When he dared to open his eyes again, Adrien finally knew what pure bliss was.

Because, standing within the embrace of his arms, gazing at him with a loving embrace, was his best friend in the entire world. The only other woman he had ever opened his heart to.

Marinette.

 _His_ Marinette.

Relief and happiness washed over him like a tidal wave, and he hugged her back fiercely, peppering kisses all over her face.

"I love you."

Words he had refrained himself from telling her during their night of passion, worried it was unfair to her with dozens of what-ifs related to Marinette on the back burner.

Words he now could tell her over and over again, until his tongue refused to speak them again.

"I love you," he said again, and she quietly mewled into their kiss.

"We have been so, so blind," she told him before a fleeting thought made her panic. " _Oh my gosh, how will I tell Gabriel I slept with his son_!?"

Adrien paused his attack of kisses on his lady's face when he heard her panic concern.

His father. The man that barely knew how to treat a human being as a human being and as cold as the Antarctic.

Well shit.

You know what? It didn't matter at this very second.

Honestly, he didn't want to think about it right then. Right then, he wanted to just focus on one of the best news he has ever received. Right then, he wanted to drown this amazing woman in his arms with all the love he had held for her and hadn't able to give and show until now.

Adrien resumed his previous action, placing a lingering kiss on the corner of Marinette's lips and continuing a path along her jaw.

"Adrien," her voice slightly groaned, both out of bliss and annoyance. "How are we going to tell your father?"

"I don't want to discuss that right now. Let's talk about something else."

Marinette gave in, for now, feeling content with the man revering her. "Okay, minou."

They moved over towards the edge of the rooftop they were currently on, Adrien weary and keeping a close eye on Marinette and his little beany baby.

Call it the overprotectiveness or his chat tendencies, but he wasn't going to let anything happen to his sudden double bundle of happiness.

He couldn't fight off the urge any longer and caved from his protectiveness that lingered through every fibre of his body. Maybe it was nervousness, fear, the instinct of a soon to be father, but he couldn't resist against grabbing Marinette and pulling her away from the edge of the roof. He pulled her against his chest as he leant back, holding her close as he wrapped his arms around her securely, his hands resting above her stomach.

Marinette giggled at the change of position, resting her head against her kitten's shoulder, her hands coming to rest above his. "Are you happy, Adrien?" she asked.

He placed a kiss on the temple of her forehead then placing her head below his chin. "I couldn't be happier, Marinette."

Both smiled as the overall thought of everything that's happened from the past month. Call it fate, destiny, but luck gave them the opportunity to be together at long last.

A yawn escaped from Marinette as she fell further against the warmth of her partner. A deep hearty chuckle vibrating through his chest and her back.

Adrien chuckled against her skin. "Someone's tired."

"I guess this pregnancy is finally taking effect," Marinette admitted.

"It is getting late," Adrien observed. "Can't have you exhausted for work."

Marinette smiled, holding onto his arm tightly. "Alright. We better leave then."

Adrien helped Marinette up from where they were sitting, never letting go of her hand as he looked at her earnestly.

"I'm walking you home," he declared, taking hold of her hand again.

She scoffed but surrendered the appendage without a fight. "It's ridiculous, Adrien, I could transform and fly home just fine."

"But that would deceive the purpose of walking my brand new girlfriend home," Adrien replied, hoping she wouldn't crush his hopes and dreams right on the spot.

Thankfully, she only gazed at him through her lashes as they climbed down the roof, smiling broadly. "Girlfriend, heh? When did I agree to that?"

They reached street level, and Adrien chuckled. "Well, we are going to raise a child together. I think I can safely assume you're my girlfriend now. Unless you want something more? Cause I can have a ring by tomorrow evening and-"

"Girlfriend is fine, silly minou. For now," she cut his rambling short.

They walked in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company and warmth. Words and ideas were rushing through Adrien's mind, going from college tuitions to cribs and bottles. Did she want to breastfeed? How did she feel about washable diapers? How did she like Louis for a boy's name? What surname would they give the child? He didn't care much about Agreste, but his father would have a fit if he let the name die, and Agreste-Dupain-Cheng was a mouthful.

There was a lot they needed to discuss, but right now, he only wanted to enjoy her company.

She finally, finally was his.

"Adrien," she asked him after a while, "what are we going to tell your father?"

He inhaled sharply. The thousand dollars question. "What about the truth?"

Marinette nearly choked on thin air beside him, looking at him disbelievingly. "Are you out of your mind?"

Adrien chuckled. "Wait before you lapidates me. If we take the magic out of our relationship, what happened is quite simple. Two old friends fell in love with each other, shared a night of passion and you ended up pregnant. What's wrong with that story?"

"How out of nowhere it seems? You are aware your father will accuse me of trying to use you to climb the ladder of success?" Marinette insisted, clutching his hand for dear life.

Adrien scoffed dismissively. "Whatever I do, whoever I love, my father won't be happy. Might as well be the love of my life, pregnant with my child."

They reached the bottom of her apartment building on these words, and he held onto her hand.

She faced him, cheeks red with a soft blush, "What is it, Adrien?"

"Can… can I kiss you?"

His question was tentative, shy even. Marinette giggled, thinking how odd Adrien was timid about kissing her while his child was growing in her womb. She smiled at him warmly, her hand lingering on his arm.

She tiptoed again, pressing her lips to his firmly. It was an entirely new kiss, something he only had dreamed about before. She was kissing him fiercely, his lips dancing with hers passionately, pressing her body against his. Her voice hoarse against his throat, she choked out, "Will you stay?"

Adrien backed off, looking at her questioningly. "Do… do you mean?"

"I have yet to have my second time," Marinette said smugly.

And at that second, Adrien knew she had won.

He was head over heels for that woman. And he would do whatever she would ask of him.


End file.
